Youth 4-H Club has a deep history in Otsego County

Editor’s note: This is the next in series highlighting area service clubs and groups that have benefited the community and made the world a better place.

OTSEGO COUNTY — The incentive to develop a program that would eventually evolve into 4-H Clubs came about in the late 1800s when university researchers found that older farmers were unwilling to try new agricultural ideas.

The researchers found young people much more willing to experiment with the new innovations in farming that were being developed on campuses.

The resulting first youth programs began in Ohio in 1902. At that point they were called “The Tomato Club” or the “Corn Growing Club,” depending upon the crop being grown.

In 1914 ,Congress passed legislation that nationalized the concept of 4-H Clubs by creating the Cooperative Extension System at theU.S. Department of Agriculture. Michigan 4-H Clubs came to be run under the auspices of Michigan State University (MSU) Extension.

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The 4-H Club emblem is a four-leaf clover which stands for “head, heart, hands and health.” The motto of the club is “To make the best better” and the slogan is “Learn by doing.”

The first 4-H Club in Otsego County was formed in 1925, but it was originally called the Boy’s and Girl’s Club. Financed by the Gaylord Chamber of Commerce, the summer program included potato and canning clubs, while sewing, handicrafts and hot lunch programs were offered in winter.

One of the traits of club participation that 4-H leader Stephanie Keck-Fahler values is the passing of the torch from one generation to another.

“I teach sewing because I learned how to sew when I was in 4-H,” Keck-Fahler said. “The great thing about 4-H is that when kids graduate 4-H they stay on to become leaders and mentors.”

Over the years, 4-H has provided a variety of programs for local youth, especially with activities involving livestock, agriculture and participation in the Otsego County Fair, as well as Adventure Quest Day Camp for 5- to 8-year-olds, 4-H Summer Camp, the Proud Equestrian Program that gives handicapped kids the chance to ride horses, the annual Father/Daughter Dance and Exploration Day at MSU.

Youth in 4-H are taught the importance of contributing to their community and the world.

“Different clubs do different things,” Keck-Fahler said. “Some kids packed boxes to go to troops in Afghanistan. Some went to McReynolds Hall to make cupcakes with seniors. Once a year, 4-H kids raise funds, plan, shop, cook and serve the Community Meal. My kids made two trips to Delphine’s Quilt Shop to make pillowcases to donate to kids in other countries.”

Since its inception more than 100 years ago, 4-H Clubs have grown from serving youth in rural areas to include urban and suburban youth in every state. There are now 6.5 million members in 90,000 clubs across the country.

With the 4-H International Exchange program, the organization has gone global. The traditional programs offered to 4-H youth have now come to include science, engineering, computer science, robotics, healthy living, citizenship and environmental protection.

The one thing that has not changed since the clubs’ inception is that 4-H youth are still endowed with life skills such as leadership, communication, citizenship and career development through their participation.Michelle Pietrzak is the new 4-H program coordinator for Otsego County. She can be reached at 731-0273 or pietrza1@anr.msu.edu.

“Learning a Living” by Phil Alexander was a resource for the history of the Otsego County 4-H and MSU Extension.